Published 5:05 pm, Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Midland Fire Department Chief Robert Isbell, who had applied for a position in Plano, will be staying in Midland.

Isbell, who has been with the Midland department since 2010, said he hoped to move because he is a Plano native and because he "couldn't pass it up" if he fit the bill.

Isbell was one of three finalists for the position. The job was offered to Brian Crawford, assistant chief administrative officer in Shreveport, La. The other finalist was Dennis Rubin, a senior consultant with Washington, D.C.-based Rubin and Associates.

The job candidates went through a long application process that included Web-based interviews, questionnaires, personality profiles and in-person interviews.

Isbell said he was honored to have been placed in the same category as the other candidates and is looking forward to fulfilling plans he has for the Midland department.

"I do not have a reason to leave Midland," Isbell said. "We are doing incredible work here."

MFD has acquired the property for a new station. The department is in the design phase of construction for Station 10 and will be meeting with architects to map out the new building, he said.

Isbell also said that MFD will be purchasing two squads, which consist of pickups for faster response times, and continues to fill vacant positions.